0065/2023 - El fracaso de las biopolíticas posmodernas: algunos apuntes sobre las tecnologías y prácticas de embellecimiento travestis The failure of postmodern biopolitics: some notes on travesti beautification technologies and practices
Basado en el trabajo etnográfico que realicé junto a un grupo de travestis brasileñas trabajadoras del sexo en Río de Janeiro y Barcelona, en este artículo pretendo analizar las formas en que ellas emplean las tecnologías para transformar y embellecer unos cuerpos que cuestionan el modelo biomédico de nuestra sociedad: sus cuerpos no son leídos como “dóciles”, “saludables” ni “productivos” ya que tampoco “encajan”, ni pretenden encajar, en el binarismo sexual dominante. Por otro lado, la belleza – en tanto campo político y transformador – es uno de los principales elementos que las travestis tienen para encontrar su lugar en el mundo a partir de sus tránsitos (trans)nacionales: mientras se convierten en bellas travestis, están al mismo tiempo construyéndose como sujetas sociales que reclaman cierta inteligibilidad. Por lo tanto, la belleza para las travestis es un espacio (transitorio) de liberación que, en definitiva, pone en evidencia cómo ciertas tecnologías biopolíticas han fallado al producir cuerpos indisciplinados y bellas travestis que – con su supervivencia – se rebelan frente a un poder heteronormativo que considera que sus cuerpos no son dignos de duelo y, en consecuencia, “merecen morir”.
Based on the ethnographic work I carried out with a group of Brazilian travesti sex workers in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona, in this article my aim is to analyse the ways in which they use technologies to transform and beautify their bodies that question the biomedical model of our society: their bodies are not read as “docile”, “healthy” or “productive” since they do not “fit into”, nor pretend to fit into, the dominant sexual binary. On the other hand, beauty – as a political and transformative field – is one of the main elements that travestis have to find their place in the world through their (trans)national displacements: while they become beautiful travestis, they are at the same time constructing themselves as social subjects who claim certain intelligibility. Therefore, beauty, for travestis, is a (transitory) space of liberation that, ultimately, reveals how certain biopolitical technologies have failed to produce undisciplined bodies and beautiful travestis who – through their survival – rebel against a heteronormative power that considers that their bodies are not worthy of mourning and, consequently, “deserve to die”.
The failure of postmodern biopolitics: some notes on travesti beautification technologies and practices
Resumo (abstract):
Based on the ethnographic work I carried out with a group of Brazilian travesti sex workers in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona, in this article my aim is to analyse the ways in which they use technologies to transform and beautify their bodies that question the biomedical model of our society: their bodies are not read as “docile”, “healthy” or “productive” since they do not “fit into”, nor pretend to fit into, the dominant sexual binary. On the other hand, beauty – as a political and transformative field – is one of the main elements that travestis have to find their place in the world through their (trans)national displacements: while they become beautiful travestis, they are at the same time constructing themselves as social subjects who claim certain intelligibility. Therefore, beauty, for travestis, is a (transitory) space of liberation that, ultimately, reveals how certain biopolitical technologies have failed to produce undisciplined bodies and beautiful travestis who – through their survival – rebel against a heteronormative power that considers that their bodies are not worthy of mourning and, consequently, “deserve to die”.
Vartabedian, J.. El fracaso de las biopolíticas posmodernas: algunos apuntes sobre las tecnologías y prácticas de embellecimiento travestis. Cien Saude Colet [periódico na internet] (2023/Mar). [Citado em 09/10/2024].
Está disponível em: http://cienciaesaudecoletiva.com.br/artigos/el-fracaso-de-las-biopoliticas-posmodernas-algunos-apuntes-sobre-las-tecnologias-y-practicas-de-embellecimiento-travestis/18691?id=18691
